WHEN THE WORD "Titleist" is stamped on the side of your golf ball, you know you’ve got the best damn ball on the links. When the word "title-less" is stamped on your city, it’s nothing worth bragging about, and usually means your teams spend plenty of time hitting Titleists.

There are lots of metropolises in this great country of ours that have yet to know what it’s like to celebrate a world championship in any sport. Up until Sunday night, the metropolitan area of Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg was among those sad sacks, but the Buccaneers’ thrashing of the Raiders helped the franchise, and the area, join the elite group of those who know what it’s like to fete a champion with a downtown parade.

As far as I can tell, Bucs fans, like Patriots fans a year before, celebrated tastefully and within reasonable bounds, unlike those lovable losers from Oakland, who trashed a good part of their city’s streets after the home team’s 48-21 defeat.

So, what cities still don't have championship trophy? And how close are they to remedying that situation? For this piece, we’ll focus on the NFL cities.

• Atlanta: The Falcons had their chance just four years ago, but after upsetting the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game, they got hammered by the Denver Broncos. After a couple of down years, the Falcons have rebounded nicely thanks to the mercurial Michael Vick, and if they can tinker slightly with the roster in the coming years, Atlanta could very well return to the Big Game in a couple of years. Championships in other sports: baseball (1993).

• Buffalo: Oh, man, have they come close before. The tales of woe that supporters of the Bills could recite would last for years, and the accompanying tears would overflow Lake Ontario. Four straight years Buffalo won the AFC and advanced to the NFL title game, and four straight years it lost. I don’t know which hurt more: losing the first one, in ’91 — when Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard field goal at the gun which would have given the Bills a 22-20 victory over the Giants — or the subsequent blowout losses to the Redskins (37-24) and Cowboys (52-17 and 30-13). For the future, Drew Bledsoe ain’t getting any younger, and the defense is still woeful, so another Super appearance is probably years away. Championships in other sports: none, although the NHL Sabres had a controversial loss to the Dallas Stars in 1999.

• Carolina: Technically not a city, but an area. Like the Patriots, however, they are associated with one city, and in this case it’s Charlotte, NC. In only their second season in the NFL, the Panthers went to the NFC championship game in 1996; their bad luck was that it was held in Green Bay. The team has yet to return to the post-season, although a coaching change this past season lifted the Panthers from a 1-15 log to a respectable 7-9 mark. Their team defense has shown marked improvement, but they need some big-name offensive guys to reach elite status. Championships in other sports: none.

• Cincinnati: Two opportunities for the brass ring, and both times the Bengals had to face a 49er juggernaut. Both Super Bowl appearances were tremendously close and exciting contests, but Cincinnati lost ’em both to Joe Montana & Co., and the team has been the worst in the NFL ever since, despite solid draft opportunities each year. A coaching change is bound to help, but personnel-wise, the Bungles are probably decades away. Championships in other sports: two World Series baseball titles in the ’70s, and another one under Lou Piniella in 1990.

• Cleveland: A hard-luck town that is hoping for brighter days ahead. The Browns won three NFL titles in the ’50s and another in 1964, but have never advanced to a Super Bowl, mainly because of John Elway and the Broncos. After losing its team for three years, the expansion Browns returned four years ago and even made the playoffs this past season. A solid coaching staff and a budding offense give loyal Browns fans hope in the coming years of finally reaching the promised land. Championships in other sports: baseball in (gulp) 1948 and 1920.

• Detroit: In 37 Super Bowl years, the Lions have gotten to only one NFC title game, in 1991, where they were smoked by Washington. The last few years the team has been among the worst in the league, but a new coach will soon be named, and the team has rising star Joey Harrington at the helm and a sparkling new stadium, so there is hope. But not for a while. Championships in other sports: a plethora, including in baseball (most recently in 1984), basketball (back-to-back in ’89 and ’90), and hockey (last year was the Wings’ third Cup in the past six years, and 10th overall).

• Houston: Two AFL titles but no Super Bowl rings for the Oilers incarnation (1960-1996), and most likely, it will be many, many years before the expansion Texans are a factor. Championships in other sports: two hoops crowns in the mid-’90s (when Michael Jordan was MIA).

• Jacksonville: Former coach Tom Coughlin led the Jags to a pair of AFC championship-game appearances during his tenure, but they lost ’em both, to the Patriots (1997) and the Titans (1999). Jacksonville hasn’t been in the mix since, and Coughlin is now, not surprisingly, its former coach. Lots of work to do for the new staff. Championships in other sports: none.

• Minneapolis: Three Super Bowl losses in the ’70s, and nary an appearance since. They were close in 1999, but somehow lost the NFC title game at home to Atlanta. Superstars Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss could vault the Vikings back into contention in the near future, as the squad’s late-season burst under first-year coach Mike Tice bodes well for the long-suffering franchise. Championships in other sports: two baseball titles (’87, ’91), and five NBA championships (none since 1954).

• Nashville (Tennessee Titans): The team came up two feet short of forcing overtime with the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, then struggled for two years before returning to the post-season with a vengeance this past season. Despite getting blown out by the Raiders in the AFC championship game, the Jeff Fisher–led Titans are a team on the upswing, and QB Steve McNair is one of the league’s rising stars. The defense is already solid, and slight upgrades in other areas could return the league’s worst uniforms back to the NFL’s premier game in the very near future. Championships in other sports: none.

• New Orleans: One of the great choke jobs in NFL history this past season, as the Saints lost to Minnesota, Cincinnati (!), and Carolina down the stretch when a victory in any of those contests would have clinched a playoff berth. The Saints have never been in the Super Bowl, although their home arena has hosted the game nine times. The team has a woeful total of one playoff victory over its 35-year history, and its future is cloudy. Championships in other sports: none.

• Phoenix (Arizona Cardinals): The St. Louis incarnation wore NFL crowns in 1925 and 1947, but the current squad is perpetually bad. Their best player, QB Jake Plummer, is a free agent and will most likely put down his stakes elsewhere this off-season, so the immediate forecast is not very encouraging. Championships in other sports: a memorable World Series title in 2001.

• Philadelphia: Hard to believe that this solid franchise has only been in one Super Bowl, and lost that one (in 1981) to Oakland, 27-10. There is a bright horizon, though, as the Eagles will move into a new facility next season, and already boast one of the league’s brightest coaches and most talent-laden rosters. Don’t be surprised to see the Eagles join the Bucs in escaping this list come next February. Championships in other sports: a lone baseball crown in 1980, and you have to go back another 50 years to find the city’s other two World Series wins; an NBA championship in 1983, and a pair of Stanley Cups in the mid ’70s.

• San Diego: In their only Super appearance, the Chargers were swamped by the 49ers by nearly four touchdowns in 1995. The past two years, San Diego has gotten off to a fast start and then faded from view in the second half of the season, but QB Drew Brees and RB LaDainian Tomlinson complement a solid defense, and the Chargers could be going places in the coming years. Championships in other sports: none.

• Seattle: In their 27-year history, the Seahawks have reached just one AFC championship game, which they lost 30-14 to the LA Raiders in 1983. Since then, the team has reached the post-season only four times. Even Super Bowl head coaches Mike Holmgren and Tom Flores weren’t able to turn around the team’s fortunes, and it’s tough to tell in what direction this franchise is heading. Championships in other sports: an NBA title in 1979.

The city of Boston is in a state of mourning now that it can no longer boast the defending Super Bowl champions. Still, we can take heart in knowing that compared to the aforementioned cities, we have warm memories of a recent NFL title, five Stanley Cups, six World Series championships (what, you don’t remember?), and 16 NBA crowns.

Not a bad collection of hardware.

Sporting Eye runs Mondays and Fridays at BostonPhoenix.com, and Christopher Young can be reached at cyoung[a]phx.com